O'Neill v. Gourmet Systems of Minnesota, Inc.

219 F.R.D. 445, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27163, 2002 WL 32341956
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedMarch 4, 2002
DocketNo. 01-C-401-C
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 219 F.R.D. 445 (O'Neill v. Gourmet Systems of Minnesota, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Neill v. Gourmet Systems of Minnesota, Inc., 219 F.R.D. 445, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27163, 2002 WL 32341956 (W.D. Wis. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

CRABB, Chief Judge.

This is a civil suit for monetary, declaratory and injunctive relief brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1981, Title II of the CM Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000a, and Wisconsin’s public accommodation law, Wis. Stat. § 106.52. Plaintiff Michael O’Neill, a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, contends that defendants Gourmet Systems of Minnesota, Inc. and Applebee’s International, Inc. discriminated against him on the basis of his race when a waiter at an Apple-bee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar franchise in Superior, Wisconsin, refused to accept his tribal identification card as proof that he is old enough to buy alcohol.

Jurisdiction is present. 28 U.S.C. § 1331. Presently before the court is plaintiff’s motion for class certification under Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(2). Plaintiff seeks certification of a class that would include all “adult individuals[ ] enrolled in any First Nation, or American Indian band, tribe, or nation recognized as sovereign entities by the United States Government, who have been issued official photographic tribal identification cards by their respective bands, tribes, or nations.” Alternatively, plaintiff seeks certification of a class that would include all “adult individuals [449]*449enrolled in the Red Lake Band of Chippewa who have been issued official, photographic tribal identification cards by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa.” Defendants oppose the certification of any class. I conclude that plaintiff has not provided an adequate definition of the classes he seeks to represent, the proposed classes lack standing and plaintiff has failed to satisfy Rule 23(a)’s typicality and adequacy of representation requirements. Plaintiffs motion for class certification will be denied.

Also before the court is defendants’ partial motion to dismiss “that portion of Plaintiffs complaint which asserts a class-based claim of discrimination in the denial of public accommodations.” Specifically, defendants seek the dismissal of plaintiffs § 1981 and Title II claims that rely on a disparate impact theory of liability. I conclude that a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 requires proof of discriminatory intent and cannot be sustained by a showing of disparate impact. Therefore, the portion of plaintiffs third cause of action brought pursuant to § 1981, in which he alleges that “[defendants’ policy of refusing to honor tribal photographic identifications imposes a racially disparate impact against [plaintiff]” will be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In all other respects, defendants’ partial motion to dismiss will be denied because plaintiffs complaint adequately states a disparate impact claim under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

For the sole purpose of deciding these motions, I find that plaintiffs complaint fairly alleges the following facts.

ALLEGATIONS OF FACT

Plaintiff Michael O’Neill is a 57-year-old member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. The Red Lake Band is recognized by the United States government as a sovereign entity. Plaintiff does not drive or have a driver’s license, but he has a photographic identification card issued by the Red Lake Band. In addition to a color photograph of plaintiffs face, the identification card includes plaintiffs name, address,'date of birth, social security number, tribal identification number, height, weight and hair and eye colors. The identification card also includes the Red Lake Band’s name and tribal logo.

Defendant Applebee’s International, Inc. is incorporated in Delaware, has its corporate headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, and owns or franchises 1,286 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurants in 49 states and eight countries. Defendant Gourmet Systems of Minnesota, Inc. has its corporate headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, and does business in Wisconsin as Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar under a franchise agreement with defendant Applebee’s International.

On November 13, 2000, an Applebee’s franchise opened for business at 3605 Tower Avenue in Superior, Wisconsin. On November 14, 2000, plaintiff, his wife and his son’s fiancée went to the Superior Applebee’s for lunch. Once they were seated, plaintiff ordered a brandy and water. The server, Robin Krawza, asked plaintiff for identification verifying he was old enough to order alcohol. Plaintiff gave Krawza his tribal identification card. Krawza asked whether plaintiff had another form of photographic identification and plaintiff replied that he did not. Krawza then told plaintiff that she had to talk to her manager before serving plaintiff alcohol. Krawza showed her manager, Greg Hartnett, plaintiffs tribal identification card. Hartnett told Krawza that the tribal identification card was not an acceptable form of identification for purposes of buying alcohol and Krawza, in turn, told plaintiff that she could not serve him the brandy and water he ordered.

Defendant Applebee’s International provides its franchisees with procedures detailing what forms of identification are .acceptable for purposes of purchasing alcohol. According to the alcohol policy, the only acceptable forms of identification are a valid photo-bearing driver’s license, passport, military identification or state-issued identification card. (There is some dispute whether this policy is binding on franchisees or is merely a non-binding guideline).

Plaintiff and his party then left the Superi- or Applebee’s without eating and went instead to Grizzly’s, a nearby restaurant. At Grizzly’s, plaintiff ordered two brandies and [450]*450was served them without having to show proof of his age. At some point after November 14, 2000, Steven Renne, a white male born in 1957, was served a beer at the Superior Applebee’s bar and was not asked for proof of his age. In March 2001, plaintiffs 32-year-old son and his son’s 37-year-old fiancée ordered alcoholic beverages at the Superior Applebee’s and were served them without having to produce proof of age.

OPINION

A. Motion for Class Certification

In determining whether certification of a class is appropriate, allegations made in support of certification are taken as true and the merits of the case are not considered. Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin, 417 U.S. 156, 177-78, 94 S.Ct. 2140, 40 L.Ed.2d 732 (1974); Koch v. Stanard, 962 F.2d 605, 607 (7th Cir.1992). Plaintiffs bear the burden of showing that the class certification requirements have been met. Retired Chicago Police Ass’n v. City of Chicago, 7 F.3d 584, 596 (7th Cir.1993). Fed.R.Civ.P.

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Bluebook (online)
219 F.R.D. 445, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27163, 2002 WL 32341956, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oneill-v-gourmet-systems-of-minnesota-inc-wiwd-2002.